FEAR
by Morbid Cheshire
Summary: Scarecrow's got a new fear drug... and he's testing it within the "safety" of Arkham Asylum. Harley ends up being the test subject! PG-13 just in case. R&R!
1. The Mishap

((A/N: Whoo, my first Batman fic… and I've only seen 28 episodes! XD I hope you enjoy this, it's a quick little thing. I may continue it later. OH! And Harley rocks forever! WHOOOT! –bounces away on a pogo stick-)) 

**F-E-A-R  
By MorbidCheshire**

**Scarecrow's POV**

They always said I was crazy.

They were ignorant morons.

Of course, I _am_ in Arkham Asylum at the moment... But that's never been much of a problem for me. I've escaped before. I can do it again. Batman will undoubtedly bring be back; it's the cycle of life. Someday, however, I will rid myself of that pointy-eared pest. The orderlies think they know everything. They feel so important, strutting down the halls, watching us like bugs in jars. They, of course, don't know of my current... enterprises.

They certainly don't know of my current assistant.

Lyle Bolton may have been an extremely sadistic jailer but that doesn't make him useless. He is aiding me by slipping my newest fear drug into my chosen specimen's food. You see, the other orderlies here fear him. A few even _admire_ him. So, they listen when he requests to see the patients' food for "extra medication." It works out quite nicely. Bolton doesn't object because he gets to harm "the scum of the Earth."

And they say _I'm_ crazy? Please.

**Harley's POV**

The food tastes weird today. Then again, this is Arkham Asylum. Even when I worked here the food was gross. Maybe it's sedatives though, they're always sticking sedatives in our food. It's so rude! I manage to force down the slop, but it takes effort. Blech! Ivy's plant food tasted better than this crud! …Whoa…This is weird… the room's spinning.

Maybe Mistah J's escaped and stuck Arkham on a giant merry-go-round! That'd be cool!…

…That was weird even for me.

"Haaaarleeeey!"

"Mistah J?" I look up. He's right next t' me. "Puddin'!" I move to pounce him, but he snarls and glares at me. Suddenly I'm frightened. _Why _am I afraid of Mistah J? "I didn't even do anything this time! I swear!" His hands wrap around my throat.

"Get it through your thick skull!" He growls. "I hate you! I _HATE_ YOU! I don't love you, I never have, and I never will!"

"NO! It's not true! You're lyin'!" I squirm and fight. "Boss, you're _hurting_ me!"

"GOOD!" His laugh echoes around me. It used to sound so welcoming, but now it makes my insides twist in fear... I know I'm screaming and crying, and flailing. Where IS everyone? The guards should have been here by now!

"Mistah J, don't do this to me! Please. PLEASE! Let me _go_! HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!"

Red's voice, far away, yelling for me… and Mistah J's laugh…

**Scarecrow's POV**

"NO!" I run to the Plexiglass wall separating me from the other cells and slam my fist against it in frustration. "Not Harley! I meant it to be Hatter!" Lock-up snickers darkly from the cell next to mine. "You incompetent fool, I said _Hatter_! Not Harley!" I storm over to his wall and glare.

"I know you did, Professor Crane," he snarls back, leering. I stare.

"Then WHY in the name of TERROR did you tell them to give the drugs to Harley!"

"I hate blondes?" He laughs, and I glare harder. "She's the one that got me fired and put in here, along with you. As if I'm anything like you scum!"

"But the drug is untested! She may be damaged!"

"Exactly! It would be a loss to use it on Hatter; he's an idiot. Harley, however…" His cold snicker makes me want to scream, but I can't draw attention to myself. Not while the orderlies are crowding the halls, removing the raving, terrified Harley from her cell. They don't know what's wrong with her, the fools. If I'm lucky, they won't find out.

**Ivy's POV**

I was tending to my plants when the screaming started. At first I tuned it out; _everyone_ screams at Arkham. Then, however, I realized it was Harley's voice doing the screaming. I dropped the watering can and ran to the cell wall. She was raving about Joker… But Joker was seven cells down, far out of her range.

"NO! It's not true! You're lying!"

"Harley! What's wrong?" I call, anxious. She may be delusional, but Harley's never been one to hallucinate.

"Mistah J, don't do this to me! Please! PLEASE! Let me _go_! HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!"

Her screaming is almost unbearable. I can feel my flowers shrinking back from the painful sound.

"HARLEY! The Joker isn't in there! You're dreaming! …Or hallucinating! Calm down!" But she didn't- or couldn't- hear me. She was pressed against the cell wall, trembling, clutching her throat and babbling incoherently.

"Harleygirl, what's this I hear about me?" Joker's sly voice rings out from down the hall. An orderly kicks his cell as he passes, a not-so-subtle warning to keep quiet.

"NO!" Scarecrow's cry is muffled by Harley's much louder shrieks, but I hear it nonetheless. He turns to speak with that vile Bolton. Their conversation is inaudible- Harley's screeching drowns it out- but I could catch that chilling laugh anywhere.

"So, Scarecrow and Lockup have something to do with this…"

They say that talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity.

I guess I'm a late bloomer.

((A/N-bounces back- That was fun to write. I think I _will_ continue this! Reviewers get cookies!))


	2. Reflection

((A/N: 9 reviews for one chapter? WOW-passes out the cookies-  
** Nightmare1: **Well, I needed _some_ way to get the drugs into Harley's food! XD But you _are_ correct. ;;  
** Marina's Myst: **I was actually looking up the second volume on Amazon as I read your review. CREEPY. Oo;;   
**Raven001:** And to think it all started with an episode of Gotham Girls. xD  
** To everyone else:** Thank you! –happy dance- I promise Harley will live, as will Scarecrow, and Hatter too. I'll try to update this regularly, instead of random bursts like I'm used to. I actually got inspired, and have outlined key points in the story! So fear not, I will not let this fic die! 

**Disclaimer that I forgot to put:** I don't own anything except the fic itself. I mean, c'mon- if I owned it, this'd be an episode!))

**F-E-A-R  
By MorbidCheshire**

**Scarecrow's POV**

My drug is supposed to use the subject's greatest love to induce fear. Since Harley is hopelessly devoted to the Joker, and was claiming he was harming her, it must work. Wonderful! It will be a perfect distraction tool once I escape. I cannot wait until I can try it on Batman.

I do regret the mishap, however. Ms. Quinn is a sweet child. Oh well, some sacrifices have to be made in the name of science.

Why is Ivy glaring at me so? She must suspect my involvement with Harley's breakdown…

Oh well, it doesn't matter. Our cells are meant to keep us both out of each other's cells and within our own.

However… Ivy has escaped before…

Perhaps I should give _her_ the drug next. It would certainly be interesting.

**Ivy's POV**

Crane's noticed me glaring.

Nothing he can do about it, anyway.

Harley's been gone for hours now. I wonder if they've realized it was Scarecrow? Probably not, the staff here is hardly intelligent. What _I'm_ wondering is how he managed to get his fear drugs into Harley. He doesn't have access to needles or darts, or anything else sharp because of his "homicidal tendencies," so he couldn't have jabbed her during therapy or something. It must have been in her food, but how could he possibly alter it from his cell?

Wait.

He was speaking with Bolton.

So Bolton must have helped somehow- but why?

More importantly, how can I get out of this cell to throttle them both?

**Harley's POV**

It feels… like a family of hedgehogs moved into my brain and set the place on fire.

_Damn,_ my head hurts!

And o' course my headache just gets worse when I open my eyes and am faced with tons of WHITE.

White walls, white ceiling, white floor, white sheets…

Wait, white sheets?

Oh. I'm in a bed in the medical wing. How'd I get here?

…OH MY GOD.

My hand reflexively flies to my throat as I remember what happened. Mistah J tried t' strangle me! Even worse, he said he didn't love me…

"Ah, so you're awake…"

I look up to see a smiling doctor. I'm _so_ not in the mood for one of those cheery, happy, 'We'll make things better' types.

"Is there something the matter with your throat, Ms. Quinzel?"

I give him the 'look.' You know, one eyebrow raised, and eyes that could kill.

"Uh… Mistah J tried t' kill me… remember?"

He looks confused.

"He… did?" He blinks, and then chuckles a bit. I glare at him, naturally. This isn't funny at all! "Oh, so that's what you were hallucinating…"

"Hallucinating? Hey, I might be crazy but I ain't delusional!"

"Ms. Quinzel-"

"Just call me Harley, Doc, it's shorter!"

"…Ms. Quinzel, the Joker was nowhere near your cell. We're going to run some tests to find out why, but we know you were hallucinating. There are eyewitnesses."

"Like who?"

"Pamela Isely, for one."

Well. That proves it. If Mistah J had really been tryin' t' kill me, Red would say so in a heartbeat.

She and Mistah J don't get along.

"So… It was just a dream?"

"Something along those lines, yes."

"YAY!"

He gives me that weird look again.

"You're _happy_ that you've begun to hallucinate?"

"No, silly! Mistah J _does_ love me! I knew it!"

((A/N: There ya go! Now I offer free popcorn for reviews! Go to it, readers!))


	3. Therapy Gossip

((A/N: Dear lord, I'm sorry this took so long. I had to do ERBs at school, and then I had a huge Latin issue, and some other crap… Gah… Anyway, here ya go- chapter three.  
**Marina's Myst:** Sorry about that! Our cook's still new. XP  
**Serb:** You're on the Scarecrow fan board! O.O Hello! XD I can't believe I didn't notice before. Wow. I need more caffeine.))

**F-E-A-R  
By MorbidCheshire**

**Scarecrow's POV**

Harley still hasn't returned to her cell. I wonder what she's experiencing now? My fear toxin must be extremely potent to keep her in the infirmary for this long. _Magnificent._

I slip a capsule to Bolton as I pass. "Ivy," I hiss to him, glaring. "And get it _right_ this time!" He smirks infuriatingly as he is led past me.

Onwards to group therapy, the least productive part of my day. Why the doctors here keep trying to 'cure' us is beyond me. After years of failure you'd think they'd learn, but no, I still have to commit hours of my time to this pointless exercise every day.

Well, it's not as if I have anything else to do.

**Ivy's POV**

I look up as I hear the door open. Crane is roughly shoved through the door by an orderly. He manages to trip over his own feet and falls into the room. The others snicker, of course, and Crane glares and rambles on about being Master of Fear. Again. This happens _every day._

But I don't have time to gripe about that. I have work to do.

The therapist hasn't arrived yet and the orderlies have assumed we'd get along and left us alone. I stride over to Crane and slap him. Hard.

He yelps and stumbles, glowering at me. "What was THAT for!"

"What did you do to Harley?"

"Her hallucinations are figments of her own mind. I had nothing to do with it." He's fidgeting. Obviously lying.

"Crane, if you don't tell me _exactly_ what you did to her and how, I will feed you to my plants. One bite at a time."

"Ivy, I do not respond well to _threats_," he hisses, sneering at me. "I must insist you cease this ridiculous tangent- or it might be very dangerous to your _health_." He brushes past me with an arrogant smirk and Jervis Tetch engages him in conversation. The therapist enters the room before I can strangle him.

Oh well, there's always tomorrow.

**Hatter's POV**

Ah, what a beautiful day outside. Alas, we must be confined in these dank dungeons as though we were nothing more than lowly Jabberwocks. And we don't even get any tea! Bah!

The brutish guards lead me into the large room that serves as the group therapy area. They quite resemble Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, which provides me with a bit of amusement. Heh.

Jonathan is rambling about being the Master of Fear as I enter. Nothing I haven't heard before. What I wouldn't give for one of my chips to shut him up…

Oh, what's this? It seems Crane and miss Isely have gotten into a dispute. This is an intriguing development.

"What did you do to Harley?"

So Crane is the source of Harley's breakdown! AHA! But I'm sure I heard something about me that night. Hmmmm.

"Excuse me, Crane, but did I hear you mentioning me the other night?" A casual remark. Hopefully I'll uncover something.

"Of course not, Tetch. Unlike you, I'm not an insufferable gossip."

Hmph! When I get my microchips…

((A/N: Ahh, end of chapter. I can't write any more. –sigh- Goodness, Hatter is difficult to write for. Please review, my loyal minions. I mean fans. Heh! xD))


	4. Revelations

((A/N: Yo! Morbid here with the new chapter! Whee!

See this Flash! newgrounds. com/ portal/ view/ 179393 It's not mine but it rocks. It's like a fear gas trip, and it vaguely inspired this fic. See eet!

**Marina's Myst:** Thank you, and do it! Do it! Do it! XD I'd read it! Sounds fun!

Thank you all reviewers, reviews are like my lifeblood! O.O))

**F-E-A-R  
By MorbidCheshire**

**Ivy's POV  
**Ah, dinner. The food looks unappetizing to say the least, but it's all we get in this dank, sunless hole so I might as well eat it. Wait, this food tastes odd… I mean, odder than usual. Hmm… chemicals, definitely. I know I haven't done anything deserving of a sedative, and if I had it would be administered through a needle… 

Aha, so this is Crane's strategy. He puts the fear chemicals in our food. Bolton must be the one seeding the food.  
Gah, vertigo… Room's spinning… Must be his damn fear chemicals.

The fern on the bed is moving… and becoming a long vine with thorns. Crap.

It's not real, it's not real… it's coming towards me. Damnit! Why won't it listen- It's not real! Not real…

"Let go!" It's got me, oh God…  
Thorns cutting into my skin! Choking me and piercing my throat at the same time… It's… not real…

**Scarecrow's POV  
**If Bolton's followed my orders the show should begin soon. Dinnertime, and I hope Ivy's meal has been properly altered.

She seems uneasy. Could she have caught on to the plan?  
Ah, there it is- the gleam of fear in her eyes. I've never seen Ivy afraid. It's lovely. She's looking towards that fern she's been allowed to keep… Shrinking back from it, terrified. Yes! So it _does_ work on her, even with her hyper immune system. Oh, this is wonderful news indeed. Her shrieking and flailing is quite satisfying.  
Never hit a god, Miss Isely…

**Lock-Up's POV**  
Pamela Isely has been affected by Crane's chemicals as well. This is interesting; I thought her toxin resistance would have cancelled the reaction. Oh well, at least she suffers.

And dear Harleen Quinzel is still in the hospital wing. A fantastic punishment indeed.

Who is next on the victim list? As much as I love punishing these criminals, I am forced to work with Jonathan Crane to accomplish it.

How shall I make Crane pay? It must be brilliant and perfect. How to bring down the Master of Fear from his egotistical throne…

His own chemicals wouldn't work; he's built up a substantial immunity to them after several inhalations of his own fear gas. How to punish the Scarecrow… A most puzzling conundrum indeed…

((A/N: Lock-Up is flippin' scary, people. o.O Just writing him freaked me out. Let's see…. How about cans of soda for reviewers? I bet we all need the caffeine! XD))


End file.
